As the foreclosure crisis continues, pets are losing their homes and their families as cash-strapped humans can no longer afford to care for their dogs and cats.
pets
Grocery Shrink Ray Hits "Science Diet" Cat Food
By 6.13.08
We’ve been getting quite a few complaints about Hill’s Science Diet Cat Food. It seems that they’ve shrunk their bag and (in some stores) the price went up too.
By 5.16.08
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The CDC says several large salmonella outbreaks going back to 2006 were started by tainted dog food. “This is the first time human illness has been linked to dry dog food,” says a CDC epidemiologist. Always wash your hands after handling pet food.
Should You Buy A Monkey?
By 3.5.08
Like so many of us, Stewart at My Family’s Money has always wanted to own a monkey. His reasoning is sound: “They are ridiculously awesome and having one as a pet would be even more awesome.” Stewart decided it would be a good idea to estimate the total lifetime cost of owning a monkey. We think he’s playing a little fast and loose with the numbers, but then again where do you go to get hard stats on monkey ownership? Not from our lazy Census takers, that’s for sure.
Is Your Vet Ripping You Off?
By 2.26.08
KNBC went undercover and found a bunch of vets are more sales people than pet doctors, using fear to sell more treatment than is necessary. They took pets with minor ailments, checked out by a vet, to several different vets. Instead of getting the minor fixes they should have been recommended, these vets advised expensive extra tests, procedures, and medicines geared more towards lining their pockets than healing the pets. One dog had an upset stomach but was recommended a $300 “eyelid scraping,” despite his eyes being perfect. When confronted, the vet said she had done nothing wrong, and “eyelid scraping is not done in the states, but she used to do it in Austria.” She also admitted there was nothing the matter with the dog’s eyes. The report says that if you get recommended an expensive procedure, get a second opinion.
Owner Still Has To Pay For Dead Cat's Banfield Health Plan
By 1.16.08
Sarah Harper was surprised to learn she would have to keep making payments on her cat’s “wellness plan” even after the cat was dead. She was told that she had signed a one-year contract and would have to honor it. Though the service sold by Banfield pet hospitals is packaged like and sounds like insurance, it’s not, it’s a payment plan. The media kit Banfield sends to reporters explicitly says “wellness plans are not insurance policies.” The contract does say that owners will still have to make payments even if the animal has passed away. However, brochures provided to consumers don’t say anything like that, instead saying things like it’s, “”the best preventive care your pet needs to maximize its life,” and that after you enroll, “your pet is on its way to a happier, healthier and longer life!” Catveat emptor.
Dillard's Boots Disabled Iraq War Vet And His Service Dog, Too
By 12.16.07
Dillard’s ejected disabled Army Staff Sergeant J. Alex Gozalez and his service dog Mason for violating the store’s no animals policy. The store manager did not believe that Gonzalez is disabled because he is neither blind nor deaf. Gonzalez uses Mason—who wore a vest reading: “SERVICE DOG – DO NOT PET”—to help keep his balance.
By 12.7.07
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Sergeants SentryPro XFC flea treatment gives pets Pyrethrin Toxicity, causing them to vomit and not be able to walk, and in one case, a dog died. Petco still has the stuff on its shelves. [Gibberish Is My Native Language]
Chew Toy Kills Reader's Dog
By 11.21.07
LeAnn writes:
On Friday, November 16, 2007, my dog, Catfish, died. Catfish died from ingesting a toy I bought her from the Dollar Tree. This was a dog toy by “Paws N Claws”, called a “Chase and Fetch Chew Toy”. It was a plastic boomerang distributed by Greenbrier International Inc. from Chesapeake, Virginia.
PetSmart Employee Beats Dogs, Keeps Job
By 11.4.07
Reader Matt watched a PetSmart PetsHotel employee strike several dogs while waiting to pick up his pet. Matt immediately spoke with the store manager, who called the next day called to condemn the employee’s actions as ‘horribly inappropriate,’ and to promise that the employee would no longer work with dogs. Ten days later, Matt received another call, this time from the District Manager.
..the District Manager called us back and stated that she watched the video in slow motion, and that while she could understand how we interpreted the employee’s gestures to have been inappropriate, that she has concluded that the man was just playing with the animals, did not in fact strike any dogs, and was not inappropriate.
Matt writes:
PetCo Sells Dog Food That Expired 3 Years Ago
By 10.19.07
Marc’s puppy is ill and he suspects the culprit is some expired dog food he bought at PetCo.
Advance Fee Scammers Now Exploiting Cute Puppies
By 10.13.07
The latest iteration of the so-called 419 advance fee scam features adorable puppies to win the hearts and bank accounts of Craigs List and Puppyfind.com readers.
[Michelle Waltenburg of Tacoma] was on the Craigslist web site looking at the classified ads for pets when she came across an ad for a “lovely English bulldog puppy needing a loving and caring home.”
By 10.3.07
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After independent tests show lead in Walmart pet toys, Instead of solving the problem or even fulfilling a pledge to test the toys, Walmart summoned one of its PR minions from a pile of feces located under a cesspool in Chernobyl to try to bully ConsumerAffairs.com with legal threats and disinformation. [ConsumerAffairs]
3 Ways To Make Sure Your Pets Are Cared For After You're Gone
By 9.11.07
Earlier this month, the media reported that dead scary lady Leona Helmsley left $12 million to her dog, presumably to ensure that Trouble is well cared for, but also to be humorously cruel to the two grandchildren who got nothing. This inspired USA Today’s “Your Money” columnist Sandra Block to list 3 ways you can plan for your pet’s continued care after you go to “have tea with Mrs. Helmsley” (we don’t want to upset the children in the room).
Don't Fall For The Nigerian Puppy Scam!
By 9.4.07
Bankrate has an extensive round up of the most common internet pet scams, including the infamous “Nigerian Puppy Scam.” (Yes, apparently this exists.)
By 8.22.07
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Address Books and Journals (lead), Krasdale Gravy Dry Dog Food 5lb Bags (salmonella), one unaccounted for Red Flannel Large Breed Adult Formula Dry Dog Food 50lb Bag (salmonella).
